Madden NFL 2003

Posted Sep 6, 2002 by TBO.com

Updated Jan 14, 2008 at 04:11 PM

Publisher: EA Sports

Platforms: Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Microsoft Xbox, Sony PSOne, Game Boy Advance, Windows PC

ESRB rating: Everyone

No. of players: 1-8 (1-4 on Windows, Xbox, GameCube and Game Boy Advance)

Cost: $29.95-$49.95

Online?: PlayStation 2 and Windows only

The good: Everyone knows by now that Madden don’t make no junk. Now in its 13th year, “Madden” keeps upping the ante even as its competitors (most notably, “NFL 2K3”) gain ground.

Its franchise mode is arguably the best around. Its play editor makes others seem pedestrian by comparison. Its new minicamp mode (a series of minigames designed to teach you the finer points of “Madden”) is like the video game equivalent of crack cocaine — you simply cannot stop.

“Madden’s” online component is as good as you’d expect, and the addition of Al Michaels “in the booth” makes you realize how preposterously bad Pat Summerall was. Who knew?

Oh, and Lesley Visser’s gone, too. Hello, Melissa Stark!

The bad: Our only gripe about “Madden” is that it’s too damn hard to run the ball effectively against the computer. Well, that and the soundtrack, which plays that annoying Andrew W.K. song (he’s only got the one, right?) over and over ad infinitum.

The bottom line: “Madden’s” incredible depth, variety of gameplay modes and attention to detail make it a great choice for anyone (particularly solo gamers) looking for a realistic simulation of NFL football.